Chapter Nineteen: Receiving the Red Envelope from the Second Young Master

Li Haoran’s face froze. “Second Brother, you must be joking. How could there possibly be any beauties here?”
Then, with a sudden smile, he continued, “If you really want beautiful women, I could send a few to you, guaranteed to your satisfaction.”
He reached out, trying to hook his arm around Second Young Master’s neck, intending to lead him outside, all the while sneaking a glance toward the direction of the screen.
Li Yuxi chuckled. “Third Brother, your skills seem to have improved. Have you taken a master?”
He shifted his foot ever so slightly; although he turned around, he was still stepping on Chu Bing’s hem.
Behind the screen, Chu Bing tried to tug her clothes free, but worried that she might alert this Second Young Master.
She cast a disdainful glance at the men outside who were conversing so loftily. For all their imposing stature, one was actually stepping on a girl’s dress!
Her eyes darted, and she simply raised her hand and cut off that section of her hem.
Li Haoran let out a light laugh, but there was no warmth in his eyes as he looked at the Second Young Master—only cold indifference. “You flatter me, Second Brother. I still have much to learn.”
Gripping Li Yuxi’s arm tightly, he tried to lead him away from the screen, but Li Yuxi only grew more curious.
Catching Li Haoran off guard, Li Yuxi suddenly broke free and strode straight to the back of the screen.
Behind the screen—no one.
“Second Brother!” Li Haoran’s voice trembled with fury, teeth clenched as he snapped, “Second Brother, aren’t you going too far? Do you really treat my place as somewhere you can come and go as you please?”
He raised his hand and brought it down hard toward Li Yuxi.
Li Yuxi dodged, but he hadn’t expected Li Haoran to launch attack after attack without pause, each move carrying a fierce momentum and overwhelming force!
“Third Brother, are you mad?” Li Yuxi was stunned by his ferocity, as if he were truly protecting the woman who’d just been behind the screen.
“Second Brother, from now on, you’d best come here less often.” Sensing that Chu Bing had managed to slip away safely, Li Haoran withdrew his hand and stood coldly, his gaze icy.
“If that’s the case, then forgive my intrusion today.” Li Yuxi smiled faintly, glanced once more behind the screen, and swept out the door.
Only after he’d gone did Li Haoran turn and walk behind the screen. As expected, Chu Bing was gone—only a scrap of clothing remained on the ground.
It was unmistakably part of Chu Bing’s outfit.
“Miss Chu?”
Li Haoran called softly several times, his voice tinged with anxiety—a stark contrast to the composure he’d shown with Li Yuxi.

Chu Bing drifted lightly down from the eaves.
After cutting off her hem, she had suddenly noticed a red envelope on Second Young Master.
Without a moment’s hesitation, she opened it.
Inside was a short-range teleportation. She seized the opportunity to leap onto a roof beam.
The range was small, of course; otherwise, she might have escaped home directly. Still, something was better than nothing.
Hiding atop the beam, she watched Li Haoran and the Second Young Master face off and exchange blows, astonished.
Li Haoran had always been so accommodating with her—she’d assumed he had a gentle temperament. Now, she was no longer so sure.
“Miss Chu.” Li Haoran, seeing her before him, breathed a sigh of relief.
Chu Bing blinked away her surprise and smiled, “I just hid on the beam. He didn’t see me.”
“Are your wounds all right?” Li Haoran frowned, his first thought that her movements might have aggravated her injuries.
A warmth spread in Chu Bing’s chest. She shook her head. “Don’t worry, I’m in great shape!”
She patted her chest in reassurance, only to tug at her wound, her face turning pale with pain.
“Reckless!” Li Haoran scolded sharply, immediately steadying her arm with utmost care. “Your wounds haven’t healed. How can you be so careless with your body?”
Chu Bing forced a laugh. In truth, most of her injuries were internal; the surface wounds were nothing serious. She just had a low pain threshold, which made her reactions more dramatic.
“By the way, Li Haoran, I’ve been thinking—it’s really too much trouble for me to stay here. I won’t impose any longer.”
She cupped her hands in farewell.
Li Haoran was stunned, then gave a bitter smile. “Did today’s events frighten you?”
Already, he bore an even deeper grudge against his Second Brother.
Chu Bing shook her head. “It’s not that. I just think it’s inconvenient. Look, neither of us is married yet. If anyone discovers I’m staying in your room, there will be gossip…”
If this were the modern day, she wouldn’t care. But here, even the slightest rumor could ruin a woman.
Since she’d come to this era, she ought to follow its rules. Besides, she’d already claimed her red envelope—there was no need to linger.
Li Haoran’s eyes dimmed at her words. “You’re right.”

Li Haoran escorted Chu Bing out the back door. He wanted to call a carriage to take her home, but Chu Bing refused, saying it would draw too much attention.
She’d just acquired the teleportation ability, after all, and was far too curious to sit quietly in a carriage.
Li Haoran, unwilling to let her go alone, secretly ordered a shadow guard to follow and protect her.
But as soon as she’d gone a little way, Chu Bing ducked into a narrow alley, teleported away, and when the guard arrived, he found it empty, left dumbfounded.
Chu Bing’s figure flickered—now at a snack stall, now atop a tree!
She had to admit, this skill was quite handy!
With a grin, Chu Bing jumped down from the tree, startling a group of children playing below.
Her eyes sparkled with a sudden idea.
How could she come to the ancient world and not visit a brothel or teahouse?
Glancing at a building not far away, from which music drifted and fair women waved red silk at the entrance, Chu Bing grinned and slipped inside.
“Ah! Who are you? How did you get in here?”
“Guards—!”
Two bodies, entwined beneath a bright red mandarin-duck quilt, were at the height of their passion when Chu Bing dropped in from above.
Startled, they shrieked, pointing trembling fingers at her.
Chu Bing scratched her nose awkwardly, waving her hands. “Sorry, just passing through. Please, carry on.”
And with that, she hurriedly left.
“A ghost! A ghost!”
The woman on the bed, seeing Chu Bing vanish, rolled her eyes and fainted dead away.
For a moment, the place was in total uproar—save for Chu Bing herself, who found it all rather amusing.